United Mine Workers

The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) is a labor union in the United States and Canada that represents coal miners, in addition to health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers, and public employees. The union was founded in Columbus, Ohio on 25 January 1890 as a merger of two unions, including a Knights of Labor chapter. During the 1930s, union organizers spread throughout the USA to organize all coal miners into unions, and its 800,000 members supported Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal economic policies. During World War II, the UMW was involved in a series of major strikes and walkouts, and it concentrated on gaining large increases in wages, medical services, and retirement benefits for its 35,000 members, 40,000 retired members, and 50,000 spouses and dependants.